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2 behaviors to help you spot a Distracted Doctor

Aug 7, 2013 /
Carter Mario Injury Lawyers

Have you been to the doctor recently and felt that your doctor didn't hear a word you said? Did he/she seem rushed? Were you confused about your prescription (or better yet, you couldn't read the prescription)?

A recent study revealed that the top two causes of medical malpractice claims against family primary care physicians are diagnostic mistakes and medication errors. Here are two doctor behaviors to look out for:

He/She Got It WrongDiagnostic mistakes include delay and misdiagnosis, most commonly of cancer or heart attack. Missed or delayed diagnosis of cancer is often seen when the cancer is diagnosed or treated as a common, benign condition.

For example, lung cancer is diagnosed as repeated bronchitis; melanoma is improperly diagnosed as keretosis and removed, but not sent for biopsy; symptoms of colon cancer are improperly attributed to hemorrhoids. Missed diagnosis of heart attack (myocardial infarction) is also commonly seen when the signs and symptoms are attributed to less severe causes of chest pain, such as GERD and heart burn.

You're Doped UpMedication errors are usually the result of a healthcare provider's failure to ensure the five "rights" of medication administration:

The RIGHT patient receives the RIGHT drug, in the RIGHT dose, at the RIGHT time, and through the RIGHT route.

Overdoses of medication (prescribing or taking too much), mix-ups in medications that have similar sounding names (flonase and flomax, or lamisil and lamictal); and giving the wrong instructions are examples of medication errors.